With the elections approaching its crucial phases, the RSS intensified its campaign for voting through its booth-level meetings and outreach programmes. Since the election was declared by the ECI in March, the RSS has held 2.88 lakh voting- awareness meetings across booths in Uttar Pradesh, around 50,000 in Mumbai, 44,000 in Delhi prant (RSS administrative sector) and around 9,000 in Nagpur, News 18 has learnt from senior sources in the RSS.
The ideological fountainhead of the BJP has been working across constituencies to manage booths, convince and bring voters out for polling and organise pre-poll confidence building outreach programmes. The RSS Pracharaks (senior functionaries) and its volunteers have been camping in areas, where the NDA allies like JD(U) in Bihar, TDP in Andhra and Shiv Sena (Eknath faction) are contesting as well.
Even as these numbers came from some of the centre, the RSS volunteers and their affiliated organisations have embarked on booth-level and door-to-door campaign to encourage people to cast their votes. The campaign intensified post the reports of sharp dip in polling percentages during the election phases, said a senior functionary in the RSS, who is involved in RSS’ Lokmat Jagaran Manch (RSS wing to campaign for 100 per cent polling).
During the RSS’ annual meeting of its highest decision-making body— Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) — Dattatreya Hosabole, the general secretary of the organisation said, “That election is a big festival of democracy. It is essential to strengthen the nation’s democracy, unity and maintain the pace of the progress. Swayamsevaks of the RSS will spread awareness for 100 percent polling. The society should be vigilant, that there be no aspects of enmity, separatism, or divisive attempts or anything that goes against unity.”
The RSS has instructed all its affiliates including Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and all its volunteers to ensure 100 per cent polling.
Talking to News 18, a top functionary of the RSS said, “RSS always work among the people, but not as a political party. Sangh works as a nation-building social organisation. Democracy is our right, and it is essence of our constitution. We want people to vote. We have been organising door to door campaigns, our volunteers are even campaigning at the important crossings, markets, toll gates and so on. This is just to make people remind of the citizen’s duty. RSS campaigns at the ground level always leave an impact on elections.”
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